TWO weeks ago Niall O’Dowd, founder of the Irish American newspaper The Irish Voice, announced that it was to close after 36 years. The New York-based Irish Voice and the Irish Echo were the principle sources of news for decades for Irish Americans and new Irish immigrants moving to the USA. Now the Irish Voice is gone. But a far-sighted Niall O’Dowd realised some years ago the direction of travel for newspapers competing against the huge growth in online media services and founded the online Irish Central. Today IrishCentral.com gets over two million visitors monthly.